I recently joined the forum, with little or no knowledge about planted aquariums. So I have a 55 gallon aquarium with 2 4" largemouth bass in it and I about a month ago, I just planted some Java moss inside, tied to a rock with some fishing line. However, the entire tank became covered with green algae, the rocks, grass, filter, everything. I presume it to be diatoms, but not sure. The moss is growing, but is now almost covered with a slimy dark green algae (hair algae?). It's been more than two weeks, and only gotten worse. Shouldn't the algae have used up all the nutrients? Also, before adding the moss the tank had been cycling for about 6 months, no algae. Any help is appreciated

I think I'm using normal 17watt florescents? I have no idea, but I do know they are not plant growing bulbs. Water is changed every 2-3 weeks, and a change of about 1/4-1/3. I do not use ferts of any kind, nor use CO2.

I will post pics later. Right now the glass is covered so much you can hardly see through it. What other information should I provide?

If you look at your bulb's it should say on them, also is it a one bulb fixture or are there multiple?

As for as the water changes and algae goes you NEED to change your water more often. I recommend changing atleast 25% a week but if that's not possible change 50% every two weeks. The less often you change your water the higher your nitrates get. The higher your nitrates get the more nutrients the algae has to grow and spread!

There are two 17watt lights. They are on 24/7. I will start changing water more often. Can someone please explain why I had little or no algae before adding the moss? Now it has gotten completely out of hand!

Can someone please explain why I had little or no algae before adding the moss?

It's likely a trace of the algae was on the moss, and finding your tank to be an ideal environment, it grew rapidly.

Now the environment has to be changed to something the fish and moss likes, but the algae doesn't.

For starters, put the lights on a timer, no more than 10 hours per day. Make sure the tank isn't exposed to direct sunlight coming in through a window.

With just some moss in there, I would consider you to have a very casual interest in planted tanks; and you probably prefer to solve this in the simplest way possible. If you can, post a picture of your algae, so we can determine what the simplest way is. Otherwise, post a detailed description of the algae, or maybe search for some pictures of aquatic algae to see if you can ID it.

To start the moss won't grow because the light's are on 24/7, that would be like a human never going to sleep! Also that is not enough light to really grow anything so all you're doing with the light's is giving it to the algae. The light's being on 24/7 is outrageous, most people run their lights for 6-8 hour's per day.

Now on how to get rid of the algae, can you take a picture of it? That's the only way to really know what it is to get rid of it. What you can do now is keep the lights on ONLY when you are watching the fish. In an unplanted tank light's are only for you, they do nothing for the fish!

Yucky, the light moss is normal I think, and the rest is getting covered with slime.
Not the best pics but all the glass is getting green. The algae is easily scraped off, but is back in a day. When scraped off it like becomes dust, and makes the water nearby greenish. However other than that the water is mostly clear. There is also some gross disgusting slimy beard algae on the rock and the moss. I will definitely put the lights on a timer. I don't know much about planted tanks so I thought I'd just get a little start, which totally failed.

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